Remote control fender shield latch



July 8, 1941. A. P. FERGUESON' REMOTE CONTROL FENDER SHIELD RATCH Filed Aug. 25, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 HVE Aeruun 1. Fi e 608-30- y 1941- A. P. FERGUESON 2,248,750

REMOTE CONTROL FENDER SHIELD LATCH Filed Aug. 25, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 z dkruue 1? 762005.90. b

July 8, 1941. A. P. F ERGUESON REMOTE CONTROL FENDER SHIELD LATCH 3 Sheets-$het 3 Filed Aug. 25, 1938' Wummi mmm 5.3

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Patentecl July 8, 1941 nNi'rEo STATES PATENT OFFICE REMOTECONTR-OL FENDER SHIELD LATCH Arthur P. Fergueson, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Houdaille-Hershey Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application August25, 1938, Serial .No. 226,648

17 -Claims. gel. 292-240) This invention relates .to ornamental, ,i'ender shields, and more particularly to a novel means for preventing the accidental displacement of the fender shield from the fender on which it is mounted and to means for forcibly disengaging the fender shield from the fender when it is desired to remove it.

In designing an ornamental fender shield or skirt adapted to cover the usual wheel access opening in a vehicle fender, it is important that the means employed to secure the fender shield in place be simple and easy to operate both in assembling the fender shield on the vehicle fender and in removing it. It must also remain securely attached when in use so that it will not be displaced by severe jolts which the vehicle may receive, and it must be free from perceptible vibration and noise.

It is an object ofthisinvention to provide .a novel and ornamental fender shield Which possesses the above highly desirable characteristics.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved fender shield which is economical to manufacture and which is rugged and reliable in use. 7

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a novel, ornamental fender shield of the snap-on type which has a positive latch to hold it in place in addition to resilient snap-on devices.

Another object of this invention is to provide a positive latch at the top of a fender shield and to provide means at the bottom of the fender shield for operating the latch.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel, ornamental fender shieldof the snapon type and having .positive means for forcing it off when it is desired to remove it.

Another object of this invention is .to provide a fender shield which has a positive latch mechanism for holding it in place or a positive cam mechanism for forcing it off and in which the mechanism can be operated without the hand of the operator touching anything in back of the fender shield and in which no part of the mechanism can be seen by a person standingnear the vehicle upon which the tender shieldis mounted.

Another object of this invention isto provide a novel, ornamental fender shield which hasa combined positive latch and force-off cam at the top of the fender shield and which is'oper-able from behind the lower edge of the fender shield by means of a concealed mechanism.

The'novel ieatureswhich I believe tobe characteristic of my invention are "set forth with particularity in the appended claims. My invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its manner of construction, together with further objects and advantages thereof,

may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a part of an automobile showing the rear fender and one of the preferred embodiments of my novel ornamental fender shield mounted thereon;

Figure 2 (on the second sheet of drawings) is a side elevation of the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 1, mounted on a fender and latched in place, as seen irom the position of the wheel and looking out;

Figure :3 is a cross section on an enlarged scale, on the line 33 of Figure 2, with some parts shown unsectioned, the central portion of the fender shield being omitted in .orderto reduce the height of the drawing, and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the upper portion of the embodiment of my invention shown in Figure 2 as it .is being removed from .its normal position on a fender; V

Figure5 is a cross section, onan enlarged scale, on the line 55 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of .the arrows;

Figure 6 is a side elevation, similar to Figure 2, of the inner side-or back of another embodiment of my invention as seen from the position of the wheel andlooking out;

Figure 7 is a cross section on the line 1-1 of Figure 6, looking in .the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 8 isa crcsssection on the line 88 of Figure 6, lookingin the direction of the arrows.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to '5 of the drawings, a fender shield I 0 mounted in the wheel access opening of the fender of an automobile I 3. The particular fender ll which is shown in .the drawings is of the high-crowned type having its loweredge along the bottom and around the wheel access opening curled under to form a channel-like reiniorcement l2. This form of fender is merely illustrative, as .my invention may obviously be used with other'constructions such as, for example, a wide fenderless body-in-which the wheels are housed directly in the body and the wheel access openings are in the side of the body.

The fender shield 10 comprises a sheet metal panel [5 which is slightly curved both horizontally and vertically in order to enhance its appearance and that of the automobile on which it is mounted. The upper edge of the panel I5 folds back upon itself and then curves away from the panel to form an upwardly facing channel I6 adapted to fit around under the rounded edge I2 of the fender Ill above the wheel access opening. As may be seen in Figure 2, the channel I6 extends around the curved upper edge of the fender shield and along the front and rear edges to within a short distance of the bottom of the fender shield.

At the center of the top of the fender shield, the wall of the channel I6 which fits inside of the fender is cut away so as to leave a gap for r the latching and forcing-01f device which is an important feature of the present invention and which is described below.

The channel I6 contains a strip of lining I'I, formed of rubber, fabric or other suitable material, which prevents contact between the metal panel and the face of the fender, thereby preventing marring of the finish or the development of any squeaks or rattles. The side of the channel I6 away from the plane of the panel I5 is divided into a plurality of separate portions or fingers I8 which curve down and provide camlike outer surfaces leading over the top of theside of the channel I6. The division of this side of the channel I6 into separate fingers I8 makes the side of the channel resilient, which aids in springing the fender shield on and in holding it in place.

The lower edge of the panel I5 is bent over horizontally to form a flange I9, on top of which a reinforcing bar 2| is secured by rivets 22 or other suitable fastening means. The end portions 23 of the bar 2| are offset down and back away from the plane of the fender shield panel I5 and are formed into hooks 24 shaped so that their ends will fit down into the upwardly facing channel I2 along the bottom of the fender. Thus the ends 24 of the bar 2I are supported in the rolled edge I2 of the fender and hold the fender shield up into place.

The end portions 23 of the bar 2I are not riveted to the panel I5 and are therefore free to bend up and down slightly. This enables the fender shield to be put into place by holding it tipped out at the top, hooking the ends 24 of the bar I5 up behind the side of the fender II and down into the open rolled edge I2 at the bottom of the fender, and then forcing the fender shield down and swinging it into the plane of the side of the fender I2. The springiness of the end portions 23 of the bar 2I allows the fender shield to be forced down and snaps it up into place and holds it there tightly as soon as it is swung up into the plane of the side of the fender, and the hooked ends 24 act as trunnions while it is being swung up. The cam surfaces on the fingers I8 around the top of the panel I5 engage the edge of the fender II as the shield is being swung up and aid in forcing the fender shield down, and their resiliency lessens the distance which it must be forced down before snapping up into place.

The resilient ends 23 of the bar 2| and the channel I6 embracing the edge I2 of the fender are all that is normally needed to hold the fender shield in position. However, to provide against the remote possibility that the fender shield might become accidentally displaced, I have provided a positive latching means. I have also provided a positive pry-off means in order I5 and towards the pivot 3|.

to remove the fender shield when desired. Otherwise it might be necessary to pry the fender shield off with some instrument such as a screwdriver and possibly damage the finish both on the fender and the shield. These two means have been combined in one simple mechanism concealed behind the panel I5.

The combined latch-in-place and pry-off mechanism comprises a bracket 26 secured in back of the top of the panel I5. This may be spot-welded directly to the main part of the panel I5, but, in order to avoid marring the surface of the panel, the bracket 26 is formed with ears 2'! at the top which are spot-welded to the outer side of the channel I6 and with an offset portion 28 which bears against but is not welded to the back of the panel I5. A combined latch and cam member 29 is pivoted on the back of the bracket 26 by a bolt 3I in a position where it can swing up past the upper edge of the panel I5 through the gap in the side of the channel I6 mentioned above.

One end 32 of the pivoted member 29 is offset to the rear so that, when it is swung up as shown in full lines in Figure 2, it extends up in back of the rolled edge I2 of the fender and forms a positive latch which would keep the fender shield on even if the fender shield were pushed down far enough to disengage the channel I6 from the edge I2 of the fender. The other end 33 of the pivoted member 29 is the pry-off end and is formed to provide a cam surface 34 which slopes back away from the plane of the panel When the pry-ofi end 33 is swung up towards the positions shown in Figure 4, the cam surface 34 engages the rolled edge I2 of the fender and causes a force with downward and outward components to act on the cam surface 34. The downward component pushes the fender shield down, the downward movement being permitted by the resiliency of the end portions 23 of the bar I5 at the bottom of the fender shield, and the outward component pushes the top of the shield out as soon as it has moved down far enough to remove the channel I6 around its upper edge from the edge I2 of the fender.

When the latch and cam member 29 is in its intermediate position, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, no portion of it projects up far enough to hit the edge I2 of the fender and interfere with the inward movement of the fender shield as it is being put on.

The combined latch and cam member 29 is operated from a stud 35 which is rotatably mounted in a hole ina portion 38 of the bar at the bottom of the fender shield. A short arm 36 is fixed to the stud 35 and is connected to the pivoted member 29 at the top of the fender shield by a link 31; As may be seen from Figures 2 and 3, the portion 38 of the bar 2I which carries the stud 35 is bent up. at an angle so that the arm 36 will swing in a plane approximately parallel to the link 31 and is offset away from the panel I5so that a wrench may be easily applied to the head of the stud 35 to turn it.

A second embodiment of my invention is shown in Figures 6 to 8. In this embodiment of the invention, the panel I5 with the channel I6 around the upper edge, the lining I1 in the channel, the resilient fingers I8 formed from the edge of the chan'neland the flange I9 along the bottom, are exactly like thepanel I5 in the first embodiment. Except that there is no offset portion 33 near the center, the bar 33 riveted along the'bottom IQ of the panel is exactly like the bar 2| in the first embodiment, and'its resilient end portions 23 cooperate with the upcurled edge l2 of the fender in the same way when the fender shield is being put on or removed.

The difference between the two embodiments lies in the latch and pry-off mechanism. In this embodiment, this mechanism comprises a vertical stay 4| at the back of the center of the panel Hi, the bottom ofthe stay being held to the bar 39 and flange 1-9 at the bottomof the panel I5 by a rivet 42 and the top of the stay fitting up under the side of the-channel 16 at the top of the panel. Sliding of the top of the stay may be prevented by making it a tight fit, by spot-welding it to the channel or to the body of the panel [5, or by fitting it between lugs struck out from the side of the channel. The main part of the stay '4! is formed with a rib, but near the top and the bottom, the stay is formed into fiat-topped bosses 43 and M, which carry studs 'or pivots 45 and '56.

"The upper pivot '65 carries a pry-oft cam 41 and a latch 48 which, in this form of the invention, are two separate members not fixed to each other and individually rotatable on the pivot '45. The pry-off cam 41 is roughly triangular in shape, and its nose' iil is formed into a high boss with a sloping cam surface 5| which functions exactly like the similar cam surface 34 on the combined latch and pry-01f member in the first form of the invention in forcing ofiz the fender shield.

The latch 48 is flanged at its sides for strength and is shaped so that, when it is swung into upright position as shown in the drawings, it will extend up a substantial distance behind the edge l2 of the fender 'H and therefore positively prevent the removal of the fender shield. The latch is swung towards its vertical position by a coil spring 52 whose ends are hooked into a hole 53 in the pry-off cam and into an 'archshaped strip of metal 54 sheared free at its sides from the body of the'latch and pressed up above the surrounding metal. How far the latch 48 is swung by the spring 52 is limited by the raised nose 49 of the pry-off cam '4'! against which the side of the latch 48 rests when it is in the position illustrated. Thus, when the pry-off cam 41 is turned to remove the fender shield, the latch 58 will swing with it and be carried down out of the way where it will not interfere with the removal of the tender shield. In putting on thefender shield, the latch 48 is pushed over and down out of the way by hand as the fender shield is swung up into position and bears light- 1y against the incurled edge I 2 of the fender. Then, as soon as the fender shield is snapped into place, the spring '52 snaps the latch 48 into the position illustrated.

The mechanism for rotating the pry-01f cam 4'! comprises a stud 56 journaled in a bracket 57 riveted to the bottom bar 39 of the fender shield. The bottom of the stud is formed into a hexagonal head which can be reached by a wrench, such as the wrench used in changing tires, and its upper end has ashort arm 53 fixed to fit. The arm 58 is connected by a link 59 to a bell crank 'Bl mounted on the pivot near the lower end of the stay 4i, and the bell crank 60 is connected in turn by a second link 62 to the pry-01f cam 41 at the top of the stay 4|. Thus, rotation of the stud 53 which is readily acces- 'sible from the outer side of the fender shield will operate the pry-off cam 4'! and the latch 48 and allow the fender shield to be easily removed.

In order to prevent the spring 52 that connects the latch to the pry-ofi cam from swinging the cam up in the way of putting the fender shield on when the latch 48 is pushed out of the way, acomparatively strong coil spring '63 is hooked between one end of one of the links and a hole in therib of the stay 4|, the spring 63 acting to keep the pry-01f .cam swung over to its out-of-the-way position as shown in the drawings.

While I have shown only two embodiments of my invention, it will of course be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto, since many modifications may be made, and I' therefore contemplate by the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

'I claim as my invention:

1. In afender shield, a latch, a stud rotatably mounted on the back of the fender shield and having a head engageable by a Wrench reaching in under the bottom edge of said shield, and means for operating the latch from the stud.

2. In a fender shield, a latch, a stud mounted on the back of the shield so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis and having a wrench-receiving head projecting down below the level of the lower edge of the shield, and a linkage connecting the stud to the latch for operating the latch by turning the stud.

3. In a fender shield, a forcing-off device, a stud rotatably mounted on the back of the fender shield and having a head engageable by a wrench reaching in under the-bottom edge of said shield, and means for operating the forcingoff device from the stud. I

4. In a fender shield, a forcing-off device, a

stud mounted on the back of the shield so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis and having a wrench-receiving head projecting down below the level of the lower edge of the shield, and a linkage connecting the stud to the forcing-off device for operating the forcing-01f device by turning the stud.

5. In acover for a wheel access opening in the side of a vehicle which can be removed by having its upper edge forced down and out, a combined latch and pry-off mechanism comprising a concealed pivot on the back of the cover just below the top thereof, a latch and a pry-ofi cam rotatable on the pivot and having a portion able to swing up a considerable distance above and behind the edge of said opening and a portion able to push said cover down and out, a concealed stud rotatably mounted on the back of said cover and having ahead engageable by a wrench reaching in under the bottom edge of said cover, and linkage connecting thestud to the latch and the pry-"off cam so that the latch and the pry-01f can; can be turned by a wrench applied to the s u 6. In acover for a wheel access opening in the side ofa vehicle which can be removed by having its upper edge forced down and. out, a combined latch and pry-off mechanism comprising a concealed pivot on the back of the cover just below the top thereof, a latch and a pry-off cam rotate able on the pivot and having a portion able-to swmgup a considerable distance above and behind vthe edge of saidopening anda portion able to push said coverdown and out, aconcealed stud rotatablymounted-on the back of said cover and having a head engageable by a wrench reaching in under the bottom edge of said cover, and linkage connecting the stud to the latch and the pry-off cam so that the latch and the pry-ofi cam can be turned by a wrench applied to the stud.

7. In a cover for a wheel access opening in the side, of a vehiclewhich can be removed by having its upper edge forced down and out, a combined latch and pry-off mechanism comprising a concealed pivot on the back of the cover just below the top thereof, a latch and a pry-01f cam formed of two separate members individuallyrotatable on the pivot, the latch having one end that can swing up a considerable distance above and behind the edge of said opening and the pry-off cam being formed to bear against the edge of said opening and to push said cover down and out, resilient means tending to hold the latch and the pry-off cam in a predetermined position relative to each other, a concealed stud rotatably mounted on the back of said cover and having a head engageable by a wrench reaching in under the bottom edge of said cover, and linkage connecting the stud to the pry-off cam so that the pry-off cam and the latch can be turned by a wrench applied to the stud.

8. In a snap-on-and-off cover for a wheel access opening in the side of a vehicle, a combined latch and pry-off mechanism comprising a pivot just below the top of said cover, a latch and a pry-on cam formed of two separate members mounted on the pivot and rotatable with respect to each other, resilient means tending to hold the latch and the pry-off cam in a predetermined position relative to each other, and positive means for rotating said cam.

9. In a snap-on-and-oir cover for a wheel access opening in the side of a vehicle, a combined latch and pry-off mechanism comprising a pivot just below the top of said cover, a latch and a pry-off cam formed of two separate members mounted on the pivot and rotatable with respect to each other, resilient means tending to hold the pry-ofi cam in its inoperative position, manually operable positive means for turning the pry-off cam, and resilient means for holding the latch in a predetermined position with respect to the cam, the predetermined position being such that the latch is in its operative position when the cam is in its inoperative position, and the resilient means for holding the latch being weak enough to allow the latch to be pushed over to its inoperative position without causing the cam -to move. 7

10. In a cover for a wheel access opening, a

sheet metal panel, mechanism at the top of the back of the panel, a fiat bar fixed along the bet tom of the panel, a portion of said bar being offset to the rear of said panel and lying approximately in a plane passing through said mechanism, a stud journaled in a hole in said offset portion of the bar and carrying an arm, and a link connecting said stud to said mechanism.

11. In a cover for a wheel access opening, a sheet metal panel, mechanism on the back of the panel, a flat bar fixed along the bottom of the panel, a portion of said bar being oifset to the rear of said panel, a stud journaled in a hole in said oifset portion of the bar, and an operative connection between said stud and said mechanism.

12. In a cover for a wheel access opening, a sheet metal panel, a bar fixed along the bottom of the panel, a stay on the back of the panel and fixed to the top of the panel and to said bar,

mechanism carried by said stay near its upper end, a rotatable vertical stud carried by said bar, an arm fixed to the stud, and a linkage connecting the arm to the mechanism.

13. In a cover for a wheel access opening, a sheet metal panel, a bar fixed along the bottom of the panel, a stay on the back of the panel and fixed to the top of the panel and to said bar, mechanism carried by said stay near its upper end, a rotatable vertical stud carried by said bar, an arm fixed to the stud, and a linkage connecting the arm to the mechanism, said linkage including a bell crank pivoted on the lower part of said stay.

14. In a fender shield comprising a sheet metal panel and a bar secured along the bottom of the panel, said panelbeing adapted to cover the wheel access opening in the side of a fender and to overlap the edge of the fender around said opening and having its upper edge formed into an upwardly facing trough adapted to fit the edge of the fender around said opening and said bar being formed with resilient portions projecting beyond the ends of the panel and terminating in hooked ends adapted to fit down into a rolled edge on the bottom of the render, a sheet metal support member having its upper portion secured to said panel by one wall of said trough and having a lower portion resting against the back of said panel but not fastened directly thereto, a pivot carried by said support member, a latch and pry-off cam rotatable on said pivot, said latch and pry-off cam having one portion formed to extend up behind the edge of said fender and having another portion with a surface that can be forced up against the edge of the wheel access opening and that slopes down and away from the plane of said panel, a stud rotatably supported by the bar along the bottom of the panel and having a wrench-receiving head accessible from under the lower edge of the panel, an arm fixed to the stud, and a linkage connecting said arm to the latch and pry-01f arm.

15. In a fender shield comprising a sheet metal panel and a bar secured along the bottom of the panel, said panel being adapted to cover the wheel access opening in the side of a fender and to overlap the edge of the fender around said opening and having its upper edge formed into an upwardly facing trough adapted to fit the edge of the fender around said opening and said bar being formed with resilient portions projecting beyond the ends of the panel and terminating in hooked ends adapted to fit down into a rolled edge on the bottom of the fender, a sheet metal support member having its upper portion secured to said panel by being welded to one side of said trough and having a lower portion resting against the back of said panel but not fastened directly thereto, a pivot carried by said support member, a latch and pry-off cam rotatable'on said pivot, said latch and pryoff cam having one portion formed to extend up behind the edge of said fender and having another portion with a surface that can be forced up against the edge of the wheel access opening and that slopes down and away from the plane of said panel, a stud rotatably supported by the bar along the bottom oil the panel and having a wrench-receiving head accessible from the lower edge of the panel, an arm fixed to the stud, and a linkage connecting said arm to the latch and the pry-ofi cam.

'16. In a fender shield comprising a sheet metal panel and a bar secured along the bottom of the panel, said panel being adapted to cover the wheel access opening in the side of a fender and to overlap the edge of the fender around said opening and having its upper edge formed into an upwardly facing trough adapted to fit the edge of the fender around said opening and said bar being formed with resilient portions projecting eyond the ends of the panel and terminating in hooked ends adapted to fit down into a rolled edge on the bottom of the fender, a sheet metal support member having its upper portion secured to said panel by being wedged between the body of said panel and the adjacent side of said trough and having a lower portion resting against the back of said panel and fastened to said panel only through said bar, a pivot carried by said support member, a latch and pry-off cam rotatable on said pivot, said latch and pry-01f cam having one portion formed to extend up behind the edge of said fender and having another portion with a surface that can be forced up against the edge of the wheel access opening and that slopes down and away from the plane of said panel, a stud rotatably supported by the bar along the bottom of the panel and having a wrench-receiving head accessible from the lower edge of the panel, an arm fixed to the stud, and a linkage connecting said arm to the latch and the pry-ofi cam.

17. In a cover for a wheel access opening in the side of a vehicle which can be removed by having its upper edge forced down and out, a combined latch and pry-oil mechanism comprising a concealed pivot on the back of the cover just below the top thereof, a latch and a pry-off cam formed of two separate members individually rotatable on the pivot, the latch having one end that can swing up a considerable distance above and behind the edge of said opening and the pry-off cam being formed to bear against the edge of said opening and to push said cover down and out, resilient means tending to hold the latch and the pry-off cam in a predetermined position relative to each other, a second concealed pivot on the back of the cover near the lower edge thereof and perpendicular to the plane thereof, a bell crank on said second pivot, a concealed stud at the bottom of said cover at one side of said second pivot, said stud being rotatable about a vertical axis, an arm on said stud, and links connecting said arm to said bell crank and said bell crank to said pryofi cam so that the pry-off cam and the latch can be turned by turning the stud.

ARTHUR P. FERGUESON. 

